An Advisory Paper for Group 8 and Group 20 Humanitarian Healthcare Diplomacy. Humanitarian Relief to Assist Sub-Saharan Nations with Drought Relief, by Dr Mark Fernando

An Advisory Paper for Group 8 and Group 20 Humanitarian Healthcare Diplomacy. Humanitarian Relief to assist Sub-Saharan Nations with Drought Relief.

As the regional climatic conditions seem to display an increase in shortages of rain and therefore locally available water supplies to the very needy and the economically poorest sectors of the populations in Sub-Saharan Africa, there is a very strong case that can be made to enable the use of high-technology rain inducing processes, such as has been successfully utilised in China, Australia, some regions of Europe and in North America. With the consent and with co-operation from the National Governments of the Sub-Saharan and North East Africa regions, the use of Silver Iodide and similar technologies could assist the water shortages that are prevalent currently. The shortages of water are leading to food production shortages and a cycle of highly significant consequences for the people who are affected. There have been some efforts made to induce rainfall in Mali and West Africa, [see: http://www.rap.ucar.edu/projects/westafrica/ ] utilising this technology.

Controlled drought relief using these high-technology processes can assist to enable failing rainfall to be induced and enabled to water the crops of the economically poorest populations that need to have drinkable uncontaminated water and water that is suitable for all their agricultural uses.

Of course, these efforts towards drought relief need to be combined with other considerations and policy implementation possibilities, such as the moves towards diversification of the agricultural modes of production, to enable a vibrant pastoral and agricultural sector to emerge in these regions, to serve the economic needs primarily of their own populations. These efforts can be combined with economically viable large scale pastoral and agricultural enterprises that can sustain the future uses of high-technology based weather and drought control. There could also be economically very helpful and scientifically constructive discussions enabled with the Regional and National Governments to consider modes of production that can generate incomes, create wealth for the local populations and possibly enable a structural shift to take place in the economic modes of production, so as to enable extractive mining industries to be considered as an option in some areas. The eventual aim being to facilitate modern healthcare, including immunisations and vaccines to be locally produced to serve the needs of the populations. The economic infrastructure that is required to enable this to become a reality, requires significant levels of investment and would imply a change in the current basic modes of subsistence agriculture. The purpose of this paper is stimulate discussion that can enable short term action to be implemented, whilst also considering the medium term and the long term implications of enabling vast and macro-scale economic benefits to be made possible for millions of desperately needy populations in these regions.